The special election will be held to fill the vacancy left by the death of Senator Daniel Inouye (D).

On June 17, 2013, the HawaiiDemocratic Party filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to close its primary to all except registered Democrats.[3] Currently, Hawaii does not ask voters to choose a party when they register to vote. This is the first time any state Democratic Party has ever filed a lawsuit to close an open primary.[4]

The winner of the contested Democratic primary is a favorite for the general election in the heavily Democratic state.[5]

Race background

Senator Daniel Inouye died December 17, 2012, 50 years after he was first elected to represent Hawaii in the U.S. Senate. He was the longest serving sitting Senator in U.S. history.[19] According to Hawaii law, Gov.Neil Abercrombie (D) was required to appoint someone to the open seat until the special election in 2014. The appointee had to be one of three names submitted by the state party of the incumbent. Inouye gave his preference for his successor in a letter to Abercrombie, in which Inouye listed Colleen Hanabusa as his pick to replace him in the U.S. Senate. RepresentativeHanabusa topped the list of early contenders.[8]

The looming fiscal cliff votes gave Abercrombie a very narrow window to appoint another Democrat to Inouye's seat.[20][21] On December 26, 2012, the governor tapped his Lieutenant Governor, Brian E. Schatz (D), to fill the vacancy, denying Inouye's deathbed request that Hanabusa should succeed him.[22]Abercrombie took considerable criticism after stating that he questioned the validity of the letter sent by Inouye on his deathbed.[23][24] He later issued an apology for his remarks.[25]

On May 3, 2013, the widow of HawaiiSenatorDaniel K. Inouye endorsed Hanabusa’s bid against Sen.Brian Schatz (D), a move she said honors one of the late senator’s “last requests.”[31] In a statement Irene Hirano Inouye said, “Shortly after she was elected President of the Hawaii State Senate, Dan recognized that Colleen was more than capable of succeeding him and he began to mentor her. His last wish was that Colleen serve out his term because he was confident in her ability to step into the Senate and immediately help Hawaii. I am honoring one of his last requests, and look forward to supporting Colleen on the campaign trail.”[31]

Both candidates come to the race with their own strengths: Schatz, as an incumbent, starts off with the fundraising advantage and has inherited a team of national strategists and consultants to run his campaign.[32]Hanabusa, on the other hand, is better known within the state and is tapping into the network and political organization Inouye left behind.[32]

"Brian Schatz is 41. Colleen isn't. She's in her 60s," Abercrombie said in the interview.[35]

Abercrombie went on to say, "It had very little to do with Brian and Colleen themselves as people. It had everything to do with the future and the past."[35]

Drug lobby donations

Colleen Hanabusa’s deputy chief of staff, Christopher Raymond, in an e-mail sent June 28, 2013, discussed that the nation’s top drug lobby had agreed to run a campaign supporting the congresswoman’s challenge to Sen.Brian Schatz and wanted to coordinate it with her strategists.[36] Such an effort could be in violation of campaign finance laws, which prohibit candidates and their staff from substantial discussions with interest groups about their independent political activities.[36]

Officials with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Hanabusa’s campaign denied that the group had offered to run such an effort but acknowledged talks about a possible fundraiser for Hanabusa and about the state of the race in general.[36]

Campaign officials blamed the e-mail on a misinformed staffer, saying, "He made inaccurate assumptions about the type of help PhRMA could provide the campaign,” according to campaign spokesman Peter Boylan.[36]

Matt Bennett, a spokesman for PhRMA, said officials there did not offer to do a campaign on Hanabusa’s behalf, but that the group had “preliminary” discussions about hosting an industry fundraiser for Hanabusa through its political action committee.[36] He also said that a PhRMA lobbyist had spoken with Jennifer Sabas, a top Hanabusa campaign adviser, but that they had talked only about the state of the Democratic primary campaign in Hawaii.

Boylan echoed that, saying Sabas did not provide PhRMA with any information “that would constitute coordination in violation of the law.”[36]

PhRMA wants to unseat incumbent Brian Schatz because he supports legislation that would require drug makers to reinstate prescription drug rebates for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.[37][38]Hanabusa is opposed to the bill, and has signed a letter saying drug companies would pass on the cost of the rebate to consumers.[38]

Raymond, Hanabusa’s deputy chief of staff, resigned August 7, 2013, a day after a Federal Election Commission complaint was filed against him.[39][40]

“I have not violated any campaign finance laws, and it is unfortunate what a distraction this misunderstanding has become,” Raymond said in a statement. “Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa is the most qualified person to serve as Hawaii’s next U.S. senator, and I have been honored and privileged to work for her.”[40]

Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

In a statement on July 21, 2013, former Vice President Al Gore announced his endorsement for Schatz in the Democratic primary.[5] In the endorsement Gore stated, “Thanks to Brian’s visionary leadership, Hawaii implemented its own groundbreaking Clean Energy Initiative. As a result, Hawaii has tripled its renewable energy production from 6 percent to 18 percent. And we’re going to need Brian’s strong, outspoken leadership in Congress for many more years to get the job done.”

Sierra Club of Hawaii director Robert Harris, in a press release September 1, 2013, said, “SenatorSchatz is exactly the kind of clean energy leader Hawaii and America need. His commitment to homegrown, clean energy is second-to-none. Based on his lengthy background in working to protect Hawaii’s environment, we are confident he is the best choice to protect Hawaii families’ health, air and water, and build a clean energy economy that works for our state.”[43]

Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, announced on December 3, 2013, that he planned to attend a reception for Schatz on January 2, 2014, in Honolulu.[44][45]

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142, endorsed Hanabusa on December 19, 2013.[53][54]

“Throughout her career, Colleen Hanabusa has fought for organized labor and advocated on behalf of our members and their families. As an attorney, former Hawaii State Senate President, and two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Colleen has always put the needs of hard working families first and taken strong positions against those seeking to reduce workers’ rights. She will continue her fight for us in the U.S. Senate and we are very proud to support the Waianae girl who will protect and preserve our Hawaii values,” said Donna Domingo, President, ILWU Local 142.[53]

On December 23, 2013, the Hawaii State Teacher’s Association endorsed Hanabusa.[55]

"Our members know Colleen, they respect her proven record of leadership on the issues that matter most to them. … We trust her to help us look after Hawaii’s children and prepare them to lead our community into the future," said HSTA President Wil Okabe.[55]

Media

Brian Schatz

Brian Schatz's first ad, released in March 2014, "Commitment."

Brian Schatz's second ad, released in April 2014, "Opportunity."

Brian Schatz's third ad, released in April 2014, "Two Reaons."

Brian Schatz released his first ad of the campaign on March 25, 2014, "Commitment."[56][57][58] The ad featured Schatz’s family, including his wife Linda’s parents, and highlighted his efforts on Social Security.[58] The ad began with Schatz saying, "More than 200,000 people in Hawaii receive Social Security benefits each year. They're the reason I've stood up to every attempt to cut Social Security."[57]

Schatz released his second ad on April 13, 2014, focused on pay disparity between men and women.[59]

The ad began with a photo of Schatz as a child on a Hawaii playground before it transitioned to him as an adult in a classroom full of smiling, multi-ethnic children. He then stated that, as a state and federal lawmaker, he has sponsored legislation to cut the gap between men and women’s pay, while the words “Paycheck Fairness Act” appeared on screen.[59]

Schatz's third ad, released on April 30, 2014, focused on gun control.[60] The ad, which featured quotes from President Barack Obama, focused on Schatz's record on gun control in the Senate and stated that his top two reasons for voting in favor of gun regulation are his two children.[60]

Campaign donors

Candidates for Congress are required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season.

April 2013

According to reports in April 2013, Rep.Colleen Hanabusa (D) had already raised $230,000 and had $248,000 cash-on-hand and incumbent Brian Schatz (D) raised $1.1 million and had $1 million cash-on-hand.[80][81] As of financial reports from July 2013, Hanabusa raised $500,000 in six weeks of fundraising since she officially announced her candidacy in May 2013.[82] She also had $248,600 in her House account at the end of the first quarter that she can use for her Senate campaign.[82]

Incumbent Brian Schatz raised $911,000 during the second quarter of 2013, according to his campaign, and had more than $2 million overall as of July 12, 2013.[82]

Inouye family backs Hanabusa fundraising drive

According to reports, Inouye’s widow, Irene Hirano Inouye, wants Schatz out of the seat occupied for nearly 50 years by her late husband, and has announced her support in a fundraising drive for Schatz’s primary election opponent, Colleen Hanabusa in August 2013.[83]

“As Senator, Dan worked hard to create a better future for Hawaii. He did so with dignity, humility, and most importantly, a deep love and respect for Hawaii's people and values,” Irene Hirano Inouye wrote in a fundraising email on August 13, 2013.[83] “I am supporting Colleen for Senate because she displays those same qualities and understands how to deliver for Hawaii,” she added.[83] She also argued that the Senate, which is 80 percent male, needs more women in its ranks.[83] “Colleen's candidacy presents the best opportunity to elect another well-qualified woman to represent us all,” Inouye wrote.[83]

Jennifer Sabas, Inouye's former chief of staff, issued a statement at the time expressing disappointment with [Brain Schatz|Schatz’s]] appointment.[83] "Sen.Inouye conveyed his final wish to Gov.Abercrombie. While we are very disappointed that it was not honored, it was the governor's decision to make. We wish Brian Schatz the best of luck," it stated.[83]